The Burden of Distance
by New Decade
Summary: She may have been alone, but he had his ways of telling her he loved her.


For some reason, I've been writing a lot of poetry lately. This was one that I thought was halfway decent and I was going to turn it into a oneshot…I wrote it but it sucked, and that's putting it mildly. So, it's in poem form.

This is something that could have taken place in season eight after Eric and Calleigh get back together and before he came back on the team (so glad he's back! Fingers crossed for good things in season 9). I can't wait until next season, but if Calleigh doesn't wake up when the season premiere airs, CBS is going to have one very angry mob on their hands (which I shall be apart of).

Sorry, I'm shutting up now.

* * *

The Burden of Distance

She missed many things about him not being at CSI

True, they had their mornings

They had their nights and lunch breaks

But it wasn't the same

* * *

He would sometimes be in the lab

But it wasn't everyday like they were used to

And, yes, he seemed to be at MDPD more and more

But he was there without the title of 'CSI: Delko'

* * *

But the thing she despised one thing the most

Not seeing him as frequently throughout the day she could live with

It was the fact that this new job made him leave

Something that she would have to get used to

* * *

Whether it was going to LA with Horatio

Or whether he had to go to Tampa

Travel for him was coming more often

Meaning more time she spent alone

* * *

Maybe she was being irrational

She knew he had left Tampa for her

And she knew he would do it anytime for her

So why did she feel so alone?

* * *

Why did seeing the half-empty side of the bed make her heart sink?

Why did the absence of his arms around her make her so despondent?

How could this hurt her so much?

How was it possible to feel so low about something so trivial?

* * *

He would be back in a few days

It wasn't like he had been ripped from her forever

His arms would soon be around her

Within his embrace her gleefulness shall return

* * *

But a few days could feel like an eternity in some situations

His lack of presence took her back to old memories

She supposed that was the reason for her ache

The memories of the time she thought he _had _been ripped away

* * *

The time he didn't know what to do

It was when he was going through a hard time

When his heart and mind had been jumbled

When the trauma of the passed few months had blinded him

* * *

It had blinded his love

His love for the job and his friends

Even his love for her

Thankfully, only for a limited time

* * *

But while he was sorting things out

Her whole world had crumpled down

She was no stranger to heartbreak

She had known its bitter taste for years

* * *

But this was not just heartbreak

It was more like heart shredding

As though her strong heart was slowly being torn

Torn slowly to prolong the pain

* * *

The nights seemed to grow darker

And they also seemed to grow longer

A Duquesne smile became an endangered species

And silent tears became more common as the sun began to set

* * *

But they had both underestimated their need for each other

It was mightier than the attraction of magnets

It's pull stronger than gravity

It was only a matter of time before they were drawn back into the others arms

* * *

The times he went away brought back these moments of loneliness

She knew it was utterly ridiculous

And she knew this could almost be considered unhealthy

But she couldn't help missing him

* * *

Missing him came natural

Just as natural as loving him

More natural than guns

More natural than anything she had ever known

* * *

She looked at the clock next to the bed

The red numbers illuminated the dark room

They glowed the time of two thirty in the morning

She had heard his voice almost five hours ago

* * *

Well, technically, she did

She had heard his voice on his voicemail when she had called him

She had called to say goodnight and to say she loved him

After five rings, his voice came on the line

* * *

The voice of Eric asked for the caller to leave their name and number

The classic line of an absence greeting

He also left his promise to return their call

Yet another classic

* * *

She wasn't sure why he didn't answer

Maybe he was still on the plane

Maybe he was looking over evidence

Maybe his battery had died

* * *

The reason didn't matter

The fact was that he didn't answer

Accepting the fact she wouldn't speak to him that night

She left her message

* * *

She sent him her love

She sent him her wishes for him to have a goodnight

Her promise of seeing him soon

And her request for him to call her back when he could

* * *

She now looked at the numbers on the clock

Reminding herself that the numbers would change

And that every time they did she was another minute closer to him

But did the numbers really have to change so slowly?

* * *

She heard the sound of her phone vibrating against the table

She reached over to pick it up to see she had a new text message

Who would text her this late?

Why would anyone text her this late?

* * *

She opened the message

A smile graced her lips as she read who sent it

It was from the man who she couldn't stop thinking about

It was from the man she needed to hear from most…Eric

* * *

His message read:

"Only just landed

I had my phone off on the plane

Otherwise I would have answered

* * *

I would have called you back

But I didn't want to wake you

I'll see you in a few days

Until then, sweet dreams and I love you"

* * *

She smiled at the message

Suddenly, she didn't feel so lonely

It was as though he knew she needed to hear this

He knew she needed some reassurance

* * *

She may have been good at reading him

But he wasn't that bad at reading her

He could still read her from the distance between them

It was one of the many great things about him

* * *

She put down her phone

Then she laid her head in her pillow

Her troubles and heaviness seemed more ludicrous than ever

She should have known he would never leave her alone

* * *

She closed her eyes

She hadn't realized how heavy they had become

And was sucked into her subconscious

And within that realm she had, as Eric had wished, sweet dreams


End file.
